FID – Chapter 702

Chapter 702: Who Stirs Up More Trouble

Also—the most important thing!

Lu Xiangjun’s gaze slowly shifted to the man sitting next to Liu Yusheng. Every movement of his brows, every subtle gesture, exuded intimacy with the young woman.

If her memory served her right, at the inn, this man had personally fed Liu Yusheng shrimp! A man and a woman with such closeness could only have one possible relationship—they were either husband and wife or soon-to-be married!

And that man was none other than the King of Nanling, Feng Qingbai.

At the inn, the man had been sitting with his back to her, so she hadn’t seen his face clearly.

Besides, she had never met the King before. Even if she had encountered him outside, she wouldn’t have recognized him.

However, she recalled a casual conversation with the Seventeenth Princess, who had mentioned that the King favored wearing purple.

These thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant, and Lu Xiangjun’s heart began to race with panic.

“Xiangjun, did you speak rudely to Miss Liu outside?” Behind her came a voice that sent shivers down her spine.

“Grand-Grandfather, I didn’t… I…” Lu Xiangjun tried to defend herself, but the moment she turned and met her grandfather’s gaze, she found herself unable to utter another word.

She knew her grandfather’s temperament better than anyone. Whenever a member of the family made a mistake, no matter who it was, they would face severe punishment without exception.

Lying to him would only make the punishment worse.

He might not blame her for offending people outside, but he would certainly be furious if she lied to him.

Recalling the harsh methods used to discipline disobedient family members, Lu Xiangjun trembled in fear and instinctively stepped back.

“Apologize!”

Lu Xiangjun immediately turned to Liu Yusheng and stammered, “S-sorry!”

“Someone, take the young lady and confine her to the side courtyard. Until I give further orders, no one is allowed to release her!”

Liu Yusheng blinked, watching as Lu Xiangjun was dragged away by the servants without daring to say a single word in her defense.

The authority of the Lu family’s patriarch within the household was truly impressive.

The old man then turned to Liu Yusheng and the others, bowing slightly. “On behalf of my unworthy granddaughter, I sincerely apologize to Miss Liu and everyone present. It is a failure in family discipline, and her temperament has been spoiled. I am deeply ashamed.”

After apologizing, he respectfully saluted Feng Qingbai and said, “This humble subject, Lu Rong, greets Your Highness. I did not know Your Highness was visiting in person. I failed to recognize Your Highness. Please forgive my oversight.”

After a bit more polite conversation, everyone finally sat down, and the topic shifted formally to the business negotiations.

Qian Baihao led the discussion, representing the Merchant Guild in talks with Lu Rong about the health wine business.

It had little to do with Liu Yusheng, so she quietly listened from start to finish, broadening her knowledge. At the same time, she used the opportunity to observe and get a sense of Lu Rong’s character.

Of course, it was impossible to fully understand someone based on just one encounter.

Moreover, since their relationship was centered around business cooperation, as long as Lu Rong maintained honesty in his dealings, the incident involving Lu Xiangjun would remain an insignificant episode, unlikely to affect the bigger picture.

This meeting was just an initial discussion, and nothing would be finalized on the spot.

The final deal would only be confirmed after both sides negotiated terms that left them fully satisfied.

As one of the top three commercial giants in Beicang’s capital, Lu Rong was not to be underestimated. 

In Liu Yusheng’s eyes, Qian Baihao was already a shrewd old fox, the sharpest person she had met so far.

Now, Lu Rong seemed like a match for him.

The two men were evenly matched, carefully avoiding each other’s verbal traps and proceeding with extreme caution.

Liu Yusheng listened intently, engrossed in their exchange—until a certain bored someone gently tapped the back of her hand, trying to divert her attention.

Ignoring him didn’t work, as he kept quietly bothering her.

Finally, with no other choice, Liu Yusheng turned to him and mouthed, “What are you doing?”

The man curved his lips into a faint smile, pointed toward the outside, and made a sneaky ‘let’s slip away’ hand gesture.

“…” Wouldn’t that be a bit impolite?

“…” They’re too busy to notice us.

“…” Then… maybe just take a little walk?

“…” Let’s go.

The two of them stood up. Seeing that the group of elderly men at the front was engrossed in their lively discussion, with no one paying them any attention, they didn’t bother saying goodbye. To avoid interrupting the conversation, they quietly slipped out of the hall.

“Your Highness is usually the most patient person. What’s gotten into you today, running out so quickly?” Liu Yusheng teased as soon as they stepped outside.

“It’s not that I’m impatient, just that I don’t want to waste time,” he replied with a light chuckle.

“Waste time?”

“Time that could be spent with you.”

With just one sentence, the young girl beamed with joy.

Holding her hand, he followed the directions from the servants and led her toward the back garden of the Lu Manor.

“Why is it always the back garden? Whether it’s here or at someone else’s house…” she grumbled.

“Because the back garden usually has the best scenery and is the quietest,” he replied. Less chance of being disturbed.

Hugging, kissing, and other intimate moments—even if someone happened to see them—there would still be plenty of ways to sneak around unnoticed.

Liu Yusheng expected to see a garden filled with blooming flowers. Even though it wasn’t the best season for floral abundance, she thought at least the landscaping would be worth admiring.

What she hadn’t expected was that Lu’s back garden had taken a unique approach. A massive artificial lake occupied most of the space.

Elements like rock formations, flower beds, and pavilions were pushed to the garden’s edges, making them look a bit crowded.

The artificial lake, however, was crisscrossed with winding covered walkways, dotted with several elegant pavilions. On the lake’s surface, clusters of tiny water lilies bloomed in vivid yellow and pink. Beneath the blossoms, colorful koi fish could occasionally be seen leisurely swimming and playing.

Compared to a garden filled with flowers, it offered an entirely different kind of beauty.

“This Elder Lu really is quite the character,” Liu Yusheng remarked.

They walked side by side along the covered walkway, watching the fish playing beneath them and admiring the pond filled with blooming water lilies. 

“Maybe he just doesn’t care for flowers and prefers lakes instead.”

“Fair point,” she nodded thoughtfully, then tilted her head to ask him, “What do you think of him? Is he always that strict with his family? I saw how just one word from him scared Lu Xiangjun so much that her face went pale.”

“He must be someone who has absolute authority in his household,” the man replied. “Once he gives an order, there’s no room for negotiation.”

Hearing this, Liu Yusheng sighed deeply. “So, because of you, I’ve just added another person who hates me to the bone.”

Lu Xiangjun didn’t seem like the forgiving type. After suffering repeated setbacks from her, and even being scolded and punished because of it, how could she not resent her?

“What does it matter? You won’t run into her again,” the man said, lifting her up onto the walkway’s railing so she was sitting face-to-face with him. “Besides, you’re the future Princess Consort of Nanling. Even if she hates you, what can she possibly do about it?”

His identity was her shield.

Liu Yusheng lifted her hand and pinched the man’s cheek, tugging at it lightly. With a pout, she said, “I’m worried she might curse me behind my back. She and that Seventeenth Princess are cut from the same cloth. You’re just a magnet for pulling enemies toward me.”

Feng Qingbai chuckled softly, letting her grumble away.

What she didn’t know was that the enemies drawn to him because of her weren’t any fewer than those targeting her.

Just dealing with Gong Ling alone was enough to leave him irritated and exhausted.

And besides Gong Ling, there was Chen Hai, who was already someone else’s husband.

Then there was Xue Qinglian.

And, of course, the one currently sitting on the dragon throne in the Nanling’s royal palace.

Fortunately, she was blissfully unaware of all of this. And he would take care of everything without letting her notice a thing.